


I'm Not Nice

by blackgoliath



Series: Did Someone Say Playground AU [2]
Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Children, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-10 19:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/789163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackgoliath/pseuds/blackgoliath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Playground AU: in which Ben learns there's a way to hold hands without getting cooties.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Not Nice

“Ben!” Johnny ran up, panting slightly, one shoe untied and his clothes stained with mud and food from the recess he’d just had. He was a year younger than Ben, so his class was already back inside, but somehow Johnny often managed to sneak out so he could play with Ben and his sister, Sue. _Trouble_ , the teachers called him.

Ben turned, his mopey frown switching teams when he caught sight of the rambunctious little blonde. “Hey, Johnny. What’s up?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.” Johnny poked him in the stomach. “Why’re you sad?” 

One day soon Ben would reply to questions like this with “I’m not sad”, but right now he was still a kid and didn’t have the stupid complex where he wasn’t supposed to have feelings. 

“Reed’s hanging out with Sue _again_ and he hung out with her all _last_ recess and I wanna play with him _too_ ,” Ben pouted. “And look, now they’re even holding _hands_!” Ben pointed across the playground to where Sue and Reed sat on one of the tire swings, their heads together as they talked, hands clasped and faces bright with matching smiles.

Johnny scoffed. “So? Girls are gross. That means Reed has cooties.” 

Something clicked in Ben’s brain. “But boys don’t have cooties, right?”

“Nope!”

“Hey, Johnny,” Ben said slowly, “D’you think that means that we could hold hands?”

Johnny stared up at him, his face breaking into a big smile. “Sure thing!” Ben grinned back and took Johnny’s hand, and they walked to the swingset together. It wasn’t the same as those times when Vic would hold his hand (Victor’s hands were soft and clean and firm, while Johnny’s was rough and dirty) but he didn’t mind. They were both great hands to hold, in their own ways.

Ben and Johnny sat on different swings, legs swinging in the air and their hands still clasped between them. Ben was having a lot of fun until he heard Johnny give a little yelp and the blonde’s hand was tugged from his. He looked up to see Johnny sprawled on the ground and holding a skinned knee. Replacing Johnny on the swing was Victor.

“You will hold no other boy’s hand but mine, Benjamin,” Victor said firmly. He clasped Ben’s hand in his own, and Ben looked from him to the whimpering Johnny and back. His mouth turned down into a scowl.

“Ya can’t just push him around like that, that’s mean!”

“One thing you must learn about me,” Victor hissed, grabbing the chain of Ben’s swing with his free hand and pulling Ben toward him, “ _I’m not nice_.“ 

The teachers came out to get Johnny then and while Ben held Victor’s hand for the rest of recess, when he was on the bus with Reed and Sue and Johnny he made a point to sit with Johnny and play airplane and held his hand all the way home.

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: all characters belong to Stan Lee and Marvel yup


End file.
